


Midas

by ThatStarlightKid



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Deceit’s name is Damian, Flirting, Fluff, For plot reasons he canNOT hold his alcohol, I swear I don’t even mean to write angst I’m just Like That, Light Angst, M/M, New Year's Kiss, New Years, New Years party, Partying, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, oblivious gays, rating for language + alcohol/drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22098013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatStarlightKid/pseuds/ThatStarlightKid
Summary: (I do not give my consent for this work to be transferred to any other sites, or apps such as Fanfic Pocket)Greek myth tells of King Midas who could turn anything he touched to gold.Damian hates New Years but when his friends drag him to a party, he meets a man makes everything around him just a little better.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton, Logic | Logan Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Comments: 16
Kudos: 107





	Midas

**Author's Note:**

> I put this in the tags but in case you didn’t see it: Deceit’s name is Damian in this fic :) 
> 
> ALSO I know there’s quite a few younger kids in this fandom and if you’re reading this (first of all, hi I love you) please please PLEASE do not take this fic as an inspiration to abuse alcohol. Underaged drinking/partying can be extremely dangerous. 
> 
> Ok enough being serious!! I hope you enjoy!

Damian wasn’t a fan of New Years. It _shouldn’t_ mean anything- he knew that. It was just another random day; the fact that people liked to put special significance on it didn’t actually _do_ anything. 

But all the talk of new times got into his head, made him think. It made him think about how many things had changed- the friends he had lost, the goals he had once held dear now thrown away. It made him think about how little he had grown- the bitterness he held onto, the stagnation that had settled across him. He was in his third year of grad-school; soon he would be shoved out into the real world with no academic purpose to shelter him. 

“New Year, New Me.” Damian didn’t even know who he was. 

If there was one thing he hated more than New Years, it was New Years parties. He would go so far as to say the things were the bane of his existence. The music was bad, people got loud and overly exuberant, and strobe lights were used were used far more than ever reasonable. Alcohol always floated around with disturbing prevalence. He hated how fuzzy it made his head- throwing off his balance and slowing his thoughts- but at least it made the party easier to handle. 

Damian threw back a shot of cheap, bight blue tequila and winced as it hit the back of his throat. Disgusting. Just because he was trying to get drunk didn’t mean he lacked class. 

He set the glass down on a table behind him so he could pretend he hadn’t touched the repulsive thing. He was sitting on a sofa tucked against the back corner of a living room in a house he had never been to before. Next to him, someone was already passed out. They would be starting their new year with a killer hangover. 

Across the room, he could see the friends who had dragged him to the houseparty. Roman and Patton were dancing in a crowd of other students, broad grins painted across both of their faces. At least they were happy. 

A young man weaved his way through the crowd and threw himself onto the sofa next to Damian with a mixture of disdain and defeat. Damian had seen him around a few times; they had a philosophy class together the last semester. What was his name? Lucas? Landon? Bradon? 

“Hey,” Lu-nd-on elbowed him in the side, “You want some champagne?” 

Damian raised an eyebrow as he turned to face the man, “Excuse me?” 

He pulled a bottle of champagne from somewhere in his coat. The gold foil at the top was already ripped away and he popped the cork off with ease, taking a swig before offering it. 

Damian tried not to stare incredulously, but it was a difficult task when his brain was short-circuiting, “Did you just drink out of a champagne bottle like it was a beer?”

“Sure. Why not.” 

Damian reached out hesitantly to take the bottle. He was beginning to doubt that this actually was the guy he had shared a class with. _That_ one looked like the type who wouldn’t have been caught dead at a party. The only similarity was the way they dressed- round wireframe glasses, a corduroy jacket over a black button down, and black skinny jeans. His hair- dark brown and pulled into a long ponytail- was the same too.

“Did- did we have a class together?” He took a drink. It was good- expensively good. 

“Historical philosophy. You probably don’t remember me- my name’s Logan. You’re Damian, right?” 

“Yep. I hear I’m kind of hard to forget,” Damian waved his hand at the dark red birthmark that stretched messily across the left side of his face. 

“No. Well, yes. That is, I remember you for a different reason.” 

Logan stared at him like he was supposed to understand what that meant. Damian stared back, hoping to convey the fact that he, in no way, understood what was going on. 

“So, uh,” Damian searched for something to keep the conversation going, “can I ask about the champagne?” 

“You’re asking why I have it?” 

Damian nodded, “I am, yeah. Also why you pulled it out of your _jacket_?” 

“As for the first question: people seem to have made a tradition out of getting wasted on New Years Eve and I decided to join them this year.” 

Damian had never heard someone speak so matter of factly about getting drunk. He shook his head, laughing, “So you bought an entire bottle of champagne? There are easier methods, you know that right?”

“If you’re referring to the blue monstrosity everyone keeps offering, please know that I’m not a heathen.” 

“Oh, so you tried one of those awful things too?” 

Logan rolled his eyes with a ruthful smile, “I may have made that mistake.” 

Damian handed the bottle back to Logan who took another drink before locking his gaze on Damian’s eyes. He stared like there was a problem in them and he just couldn’t figure out how to solve it. Damian was used to people staring, but not like this. Usually, they would take one look at him and their eyes would glaze over. Whatever the conversation might be, they would always be partially focused on the splatters some god had painted on his face long before he had a say in the matter. It wasn’t that Damian disliked his birthmark. He just hated the way people always saw _it_ instead of _him_. 

But Logan. He was looking at _him_. Into him, through him. He had no idea what to do with that.

Damian laughed nervously, “What are you looking at?” 

Logan cleared his throat and stared out into the crowd, “Anyways I had it in my jacket because these people are all animals and I’d prefer they didn’t rob me of my 35 dollar champagne.” 

Logan had handed him the bottle back and Damian choked on the mouthful he had been trying to drink, “I’m sorry, _what_? So let me get this right: you bought a champagne bottle which is worth more than I usually spend on _food_ for a _week_. And now you are _sharing_ with _me_ of all people?” 

“Why not you of all people?” 

Logan was staring at him again like answers to all of these riddles were obvious. 

Damian blinked back, feeling more lost than he had in years. Even that stupid Advanced Geometry course he had decided to take in his freshman year hadn’t screwed him over this badly. Maybe the alcohol was finally getting to him. It would explain why he couldn’t hold a single coherent thought and why he was so hypnotized by the pale freckles that dusted Logan’s nose and cheekbones. They were so light they nearly melted into his skin and seemed to be phasing in and out off existence as the dim lighting played against Logan’s face. He had never noticed them before. Then again, he had never gotten this close before. It was a shame; Logan was mesmerizing. Damian wished he could get closer. 

“So what are you going to do after we get out of here?” 

It took Damian a moment to realize Logan was asking about a career and not what he would be doing after the party once they left- apparently together. That would have been strange; it was weird his brain even jumped to that conclusion. Maybe he should stop drinking that damn champagne.

He sighed as his mind returned to the actual question. He wanted to make something up, hide behind a lie of certainty and determination. But it was too much work to weave that fabrication together. Especially on the spot. Especially with how his head was feeling. Especially in front of Logan. He hung his head, “Honestly I have no clue. I’ve always been interested in social sciences but beyond that... no plan, no clue.” 

A beat of silence played out between them. 

“So what about you?” The forced brightness in his voice tasted fake and bitter in his mouth. 

“I want to teach sciences,” Logan’s eyes glittered.

“A college professor, huh? I could definitely see it,” Logan handed him the bottle and Damian threw yet another swallow back. Didn’t he say he was going to stop?

“High school level, actually.” 

“Really? That doesn’t seem-“ Damian pointed at the champagne bottle in an attempt to remind Logan of what a bougie, extra bitch he was, “ -sophisticated enough for you.” 

Logan shrugged, “I kind of have a fascination with high schoolers-“ 

“Ok, that’s creepy.” 

“Not like that! I mean the culture, the slang, the way it’s its own little society interacting within a larger one!” Logan’s face had split into a grin as he talked, waving his hands excitedly.

Damian didn’t even resist urge to smile back. Seeing Logan like this, well, there was something contagious about it. He couldn’t help but feel slightly in awe of the passion he saw in Logan, “You really like this stuff, don’t you?” 

Logan nodded vigorously, “Do you know the new word high schoolers today have invented and are using?” 

“Hmm?” Damian prompted. Anything to keep Logan talking like this. Damian wasn’t sure why he wanted to keep Logan talking. It had something to do with the way warmth was spreading out from his core in a way that was far gentler than anything drinks could do.

“Yeet.” 

In the adjoining room Damian could see two groups standing on opposite tables chanting “ _Yeet, Yeet, Yeet, Yeet_ ” as they tossed a smaller student (who looked like they were having the time of their life) back and forth. 

“Uhh, I think college kids use that too,” Damian didn’t want to burst Logan’s bubble but he felt like he was losing his mind. At any moment he was going to start cackling.

Logan paused, giving him a pointed stare, “Maybe _you_ do.” 

Damian broke. He collapsed forward, glad he had handed the bottle back as he wrapped his arms around his shaking body. He could hardly breathe but he couldn’t stop laughing either. His head was light and buzzing warmly. It wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling, but as tears started streaming out of his eyes, he knew he was officially drunk. Who gave a shit? That had been his goal, right? 

He fell all the way down, letting his head land on Logan’s knee. He still couldn’t stop laughing even though it had developed solely into wheezes at that point. 

Damian felt a hesitant hand tap on his back before actually settling there, “Are you ok?” 

Damian sat up and wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes, “Bro, you’re so judgmental.”

Logan’s face shifted from concern into a scowl, “Oh. Sorry.” 

The heavy bass of whatever song was playing took over the space between them. Damian kept thinking about destroying that gap. All he would have to do would be lean over, rest himself against Logan, maybe fall asleep. Maybe it was the overpriced buzz in his head talking, but he felt safe around Logan. 

Out of the blue, Logan stood up, adjusting the hem of his jacket as he turned to face Damian, “Well, I won’t be bothering you anymore. Maybe I’ll see you around campus sometime. You can finish that if you want.” 

Damian looked down by his feet where Logan was pointing to the champagne bottle, “Wait, I don’t understand. You’re leaving? Where?” 

Logan glanced around, looking anywhere but Damian’s face. Damian was used to that but this felt different. _Logan_ was different. At least under usual circumstances, he knew why people so adamantly refused to acknowledge his existence. He made them uncomfortable; he didn’t like it, but he got it. Here, he was absolutely clueless. 

Logan finally managed to make eye contact. He was trying for a smile but as an expert liar, Damian could see straight through to the grimace beneath, “Oh, I’m sure I’ll find someone else who will tolerate my presence for a few moments.” 

“Hey,” Damian acted on impulse. After all, Logan’s hand was just hanging there. It was far too empty. And at the moment, reaching forward to grab Logan’s wrist was Damian’s only way to insure that Logan wouldn’t walk away. He knew Logan was a smart guy and would probably see his honeyed whines as deception, but he had to try, “You’re really just going to get me drunk and then ditch me? Who knows what could happen?” 

Logan’s eyebrows creased but he didn’t say anything. He looked like he was in pain, eyes sharp and teeth clenched behind a grimace. It was enough to make Damian drop his hand. 

“Logan, it’s entirely your choice but if you would like to stay with me, I would enjoy that very much,” Truth wasn’t his strong suit, but he figured it was worth a try. 

Logan squinted at him, confused or at least doubtful, “I thought you disliked my judgmental attitude.” 

Damian groaned, “Dude... I didn’t mean it like that. I thought it was funny. I think _you’re_ funny.” 

“Oh,” Logan looked like he was having a hard time processing Damian’s words. It made him wonder just how many of those tequila shots Logan had thrown back before walking over. He had to be drunk. It was the only way to explain why he was acting so strange. 

Damian reached out again and slowly pulled Logan back. He was hesitant but didn’t resist. Logan sat down next to Damian as if he didn’t understand his own actions. His eyes picked Damian apart like he was looking for the fine print. 

“You’re sure you don’t mind me?” Logan’s expression was completely open. He was looking for the truth and Damian didn’t think he’d be able to lie if he wanted to. It was a good thing he didn’t need to. 

He smiled, “Yeah, I’m sure.” 

“Oh. Ok,” Logan settled back into the couch but his eyebrows were still weaved together. Apparently his programs finished running because he suddenly turned to Damian, grinning brightly, “I’m glad.” 

Damian smiled back. He was happy to see Logan with that sparkle back, if a little confused as to how he had caused it, “You’re glad... I don’t mind you?” 

Logan nodded, “Some people think I’m a little strange.” 

“Yeah, I get that,” Damian winced and tried to rush out his next words, “Not, like, I think you’re strange- I think you’re really cool. I just mean people think I’m strange too.” 

Damian swore he could map constellations in the stars floating in Logan’s eyes, “You think I’m cool?” 

He shrugged, “I mean, yeah. You always seem to have it all together and you have determination and goals and it’s so obvious that you’re going to reach them. That passion is rare to see any more. I mean, I don’t have _any_ of that. You don’t know how much I looked up to you in that class.” 

Logan blinked at him like a deer in headlights for a moment before he began frowning, “But you’re incorrect.” 

Damian looked up from where had been trying to see how much champagne was left in the bottle, “What do you mean?” 

“You obviously have passion. You always had points to bring up during discussions and it was clear you had deep interest in the topics. _You_ don’t know how in awe of you I was. You always found the least likely angle to take and still managed to make a convincing argument,” Logan took the bottle out of Damian’s frozen hands and took a drink, “It was art.” 

Damian opened his mouth but all memory of speech had escape him. He looked away, trying to find something safe to stare at while he tried to gather his thoughts. His head was full of fragments, dulled glass shards that floated through fog and bumped against the edges of his mind. It hurt to try to put them all back together into one piece.

So Logan had noticed him in that class. And had remembered him; quite clearly it seemed. Except the way he was talking... nobody had ever spoken to Damian that way before. He was tempted to ask Logan if he had mistaken him for someone else.

He found his eyes wandering down to the space between them. More accurately, he was staring at how little space there was between them. When Logan had sat down the second time, he had done so right next to Damian. Like, _right_ next to him. Now their legs were pressed together, hips and knees bumping together every time one of them shifted. Damian marveled at the fact that he hadn’t noticed before. 

“Damian?” He looked up into Logan’s concerned face. _God_ , they were so close, “Are you ok? Your eyes kinda glazed over.” 

Damian laughed. It sounded breathy and far away, “Yeah, I’m good.” 

From another room, someone started yelling, “ _LAST 15 MINUTES OF THE YEAR!!”_

Logan squinted down at his watch before glaring in the direction of the voice, “There’s only five minutes left.” 

Damian chuckled, watching the lines of Logan’s frown as he grimaced at the sea of people around them. There was something endearing about the blunt disdain Logan had for the idiots around them. It was nice to know he didn’t fit into that group, that he had- by some miracle- managed to fit into Logan’s bubble. 

“So... you usually celebrate New Years like this?” Logan had suddenly become quite fidgety, wringing his hands in his lap. Damian tried to ignore it. He was having a hard enough time working on his own thoughts; he couldn’t even begin picking apart Logan’s thoughts. 

Damian shook his head, “You mean a party? Nah, I usually don’t even celebrate. What about you?” 

“Same. I don’t generally go to parties at all.” 

_Ah_ , so Damian’s original impression had been correct, “So what are you doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Logan deftly avoided the question with a smirk. Damn, he was good at this. 

Damian rolled his eyes, “Some friends dragged me here. Now _you_ tell me what a straight-laced nerd like you is doing in a place like this.” 

Logan snorted, “Don’t remember the last time anyone described me as straight- anything.” 

“What?” 

“What?” 

Damian wanted to shake his head like a dog getting out of water. Maybe then, the pieces would fall into some sort of pattern he could recognize. So Logan wasn’t straight. Why did that make him so happy? 

He ran his hands through his hair and tried to gain some composure, “Ok, so what is _someone_ like you doing in a place like this?” 

Logan looked out across the crowd, his mouth a tight line. On the other side of the room someone took a running start and flung themselves on a pool table that had currently been in use. The thing cracked in half. 

“I was-,” Logan paused, hands tapping quickly against his leg, “- _convinced_.” 

Damian raised an eyebrow, “I’ve never heard someone talk so ominously about going to a party; what is that even supposed to mean?” 

Logan winced. His hands were doing full cardio now, clenching into fists over and over again, “I was told someone was going to be here. I just really wanted the chance to talk to him again.” 

“But you’ve only talked to me.” 

“Yes,” Logan gave him that stare again like _Come on, dude, the puzzle pieces are right there- just put them together_. He rubbed his eyes in his hands, “Maybe this was a mistake. I didn’t mean to get you _drunk._ I thought you’d still be able to figure out _-“_

_Click._

Damian’s mouth fell, “Wait, _I’m_ the one you wanted to talk to?” 

Logan gave him a small smile. It was the first time Damian had seen him look unsure of himself, “Well, yeah.” 

“Oh,” Damian’s head was swimming. He could have blamed it on the champagne or how late it was or the way the lighting had began strobing, flickering between bright neon shades. But he knew that wasn’t it. He couldn’t lie this time- not even to himself. 

Logan’s eyes were wide, staring into Damian. Not into his eyes- _him_. It was unnerving in the best way possible. The shifting light played across his irises, making them every colour of the rainbow. 

“Is that ok?” 

Logan’s voice startled him back to the present. He had leaned forward, supposedly to be heard above the shouting that had started. Amongst all of the raised voices, Logan’s had only gotten lower. His breath played against Damian’s ear. 

Damian looked up, startled slightly but smiling, “Yeah, yeah, that’s good. That’s great.” 

Logan smiled, “Yeah? Great?” 

He was definitely leaning forward. 

Damian huffed out a sigh but smiled even wider, “Shut up. I’m pretty sure you’re drunk.” 

Logan scoffed, “And you’re not? You’re a total lightweight.” 

“Shut up.” 

“ _TEN!”_

The entire house shook as the ridiculous number of students began screaming in unison

“You know, it’s also tradition to kiss someone on New Years,” Logan looked infuriatingly smug. 

_“NINE!”_

Damian usually hated this part, everyone around him creating one huge voice- everyone but him. 

Damian raised an eyebrow, “Are you asking to kiss me?” 

_“EIGHT!”_

What he always hated most was the way the entire world seemed to be celebrating- without him. The whole damn planet filled with joy for one tiny moment and he could never figure out why. 

Logan smiled like the Cheshire Cat- except the Cheshire Cat had just won the lottery, “Maybe.” 

_“SEVEN!”_

At this point, his heart rate usually would have been spiking, feeling the pressure of “new opportunities” pressing all their expectant eyes on him. 

Damian laughed, “Did you come over to talk to me just so you could get a kiss tonight?” 

_“SIX!”_

There was always a part of Damian that would scorn him for not being happy, question why he had turned out to be such a sad, useless lump while everyone else was happily looking forward to the future. 

“No,” Logan set his jaw like a stubborn toddler, “I came over here to talk to you so I could get a kiss _from you_ tonight.” 

_“FIVE!”_

No matter what he did, the New Year would plague him. His whole apartment complex would rattle as chanting counted down. The first hours of the year would often find Damian wandering through empty streets, desperate to escape the celebration. 

Logan slid his hand onto Damian’s knee, “So can I? Kiss you?” 

_“FOUR!”_

The whole event was just one monstrous reminder. It was an ugly mar on the calendar that whispered _Look at all the things you’ve ruined. Look at how far you’ve fallen. Look at how little your future holds._

Damian nodded dumbly. His heart was pounding in his ears. 

_“THREE!”_

New Year made him think of his parents. He always put on a bright mask for them, feeding them lies of empty aspirations and opportunities that didn’t exist. How would they feel to know their son was barreling headfirst into a dead end? 

Damian was learning he didn’t need alcohol; Logan was intoxicating enough. The shine in his eyes, the self-satisfied tug to his lips, the way he kept getting closer and closer- it made Damian’s thoughts slow to a halt and everything around him lose focus. 

_“TWO!”_

Every year, the day after would be exactly like the day before. Everyone else seemed to be determined to make themselves better. As much as he searched, Damian could never find the ways to change. New Years was usually taunting, reminding him that he would always be broken and would never be able to fix himself. 

Logan’s hands played across his chest, smoothed over his shoulder, ran through his hair. His eyes found Damian’s soul. Damian couldn’t remember how to breathe. 

_“ONE!!”_

Damian had always hated New Years. 

Logan leaned all the way forward and his lips were on Damian’s. It was deeper than Damian was expecting, both of their mouths slightly open. Logan kept surging forward with his whole body, destroying the few inches left between them. Damian happily followed his lead, mindlessly falling into synchronous rhythm as Logan kept moving his lips. Except it wasn’t just his lips; Logan kissed with his whole body. He leaned against Damian and his hands were always roaming, leaving little touches as they danced over Damian’s body. 

Sure, Damian had kissed other guys before. But he was pretty sure this was the first time anyone had kissed him. 

One of Logan’s hands found its way to Damian’s face. His fingers tapped lightly across his birthmark. Damian remembered the kids who stared without shame, the eyes that would dart away as soon as they saw him, the way he could never hold a conversation without his birthmark joining as an unwanted guest star. Logan hadn’t done any of that. Damian had no words to describe what that man was but he liked it. 

Damian broke away, completely out of breath. He had no idea how long they had been kissing- it could have been hours for all he knew- but his lungs didn’t have the same luxury of losing track.

Logan’s chest was heaving as it pressed against Damian’s side. His eyes were wide and glazed, staring a million miles away. 

“Hey, Logan?” 

Logan’s eyes regained their sharp focus. He smiled brightly, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.” 

“You’re a dork. But really,” Damian sighed, “thank you.” 

Logan gave him a puzzled smile, “What for?” 

“I’m pretty sure this is the first New Year I’ve ever actually enjoyed,” Damian snuggled himself closer to Logan, smiling when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. 

Logan spoke with measured, careful words, “If you like, we could, you know, make our own New Years tradition out of this.” 

Damian could feel his eyelids falling and rising every time he blinked like the great velvet currents of a theatre. They were heavy and he was warm and his head was a vague haze. He yawned widely and wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist, “I don’t think we have to wait until New Year to do this again.” 

He fell asleep listening to Logan stuttering out some happy response. Maybe New Years wasn’t so bad. 

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s to a new year filled with good vibes, growth, and lots of love.  
> All kudos and comments mean so much to me <3  
> Love you all 🖤✨


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